Carbureter.



L. S. GARDNER.

CARBURETER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15.1911.

1,299,454, Patented Apr. 8,1919.

i 2 SHEETS-SHEET l. a 429' carbureter.

, UNITED STATES PATENT orrrou.

LEVI S. GARDNER, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN GARBURETER.

Specification of Letters l-"atent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application filed February 15, 191 7. Serial No. 148,722.

had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part. of this specification.

' My invention has for its object to produce a simple and novel carbureter whicl1,'without additional attachments or appliances, will enable the carbureter to take its supply of fuel from a storage tankor reservoir located either below or above a horizontal plane passing through the carbureter.

A. further object of my invention is to produce a carbureter having a simple and novel structural arrangement.

Briefly stated, my invention, viewed. in one of its aspects, consists in utilizing the suction of the engine on. the carbureter in such a way that a partial vacuum is maintained in the float chamber or corresponding element of the carbureter, which vacuum will be suflicient to cause an upward flow of liquid fuel from the main-fuel tank, even though the latter be placed at a considerable distance below the level of'the carbureter;

thus doing away with auxiliary reservoirs into which it has heretofore been'beheved necessary to lift the fuel from low lying tanks so as to permit a ravity'feed to the Not only oes my improved method of securing a feed of fuel to the carbureter simplify and reduce the number of elements forming part of the power plant, but it is also much more eflicient and requires the expenditure of less energy than do the old systems, because in the latter the fuel must be raised above the level of the carbureter in order that it may flow by gravity to the carbureter, while in my arrangement the lift from the main tank or reservoir is only to the-level of the carbureter. It often happens in connection with 7 vacuum feed systems of the type to which I have heretofore referred as being in use, that at high speeds there is not a suflicient vacuum in the engine manifold to cause the auxiliary reservoir to be supplied from the main reservoir as fast as the "carbureter is taking fuel from the auxiliary reservoir; and consequently the auxiliary tank will sometimes become drained at high speeds and the engine will fail to receive the proper supply of fuel. By eliminating the extra lift, neces sary to bring the fuel into an auxiliary reservoir at a higher level than the carbureter, and lifting the fuel simply to the level of the carbureter, an effective feed can be maintained at much higher speeds, that is with a smaller vacuum in the manifold, than is possible with the old systems.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention. is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objectsa-nd advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1- 1s ahorizontal section taken through a carbureter arranged in accordance,

with my invention, the section being taken approximately at the axis of the main air p Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on line 33 of Fig. 1;

. Fig; 4is a view on the same plane as Fig. 2, of a fragment of the carbureter, showing the main throttle v lve in a different position fromthat whic h Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the throttle valve; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to. Fig. 2, except that the float chamber is shown partly 1n elevation, illustrating the same carbureter equipped with a butterfly choke valve.

In the drawings I have illustrated m invention in only a single form with one s ight modification and, for the sake of brevity, I shall confine the detailed description to this particular form; but I desire to have it understood that my invention, in .its broader it occupies in Fig. 1; A

1, there is also an 'air passage leading from a point above thenormal liquid level in the.

, chamber 4 to a point within the interior of engine is running so that fuel is being drawn the tubular body member. In the construction illustrated, this passage is indicated at 5. With this arrangement, whenever the tial vacuum is thus produced in the fuel chamber.

permit fuel from the main reservoir-tobe- Such a vacuum will of course forced upwardly .into the carbureter by atmospheric pressure on the fuelin the main reservoir. If nothing'elsewere done, however, than to provide the air passage, the

eifect would be to produce substantial equilibrium in subatmospheric pressure above the fuel in the chamber and at the fuel outlet, so that the flow'of fuel from the chamber would theoretically be impossible and in practice, such flowas there might be would be uncertain and -erratic. I have therefore provided means for limiting the degree .of

vacuum that can be established and main-,

. tained in the fuel chamber above the fuel level so thatwhen the engine isrunninga predetermined substantial partial vacuum will be maintained above the fuel while a greater variable partial vacuum will'be maintained at the'fuel outlet into the carbureting or mixing chamber, depending upon thespeed of the engine. 7 This I accomplish by providing the chamber la-with a port leading to outside atmosphere and control-' ling the port by an inwardly opening check valve. In the arrangement illustrated, this air port is indicated at 6 and is controlled by a gravity valve, 7, vertically slidable in a housing or casing, 8, formed in the body of the carbureter in proximity to the upper end of the fuel chamber. The port 6 enters the bottom of the housing 8 and the valve 7 is inserted through the top of the housing which is then closed in any, suitable Way as, for example, by a screw plug 9. It will be seen that by varying the weight of the valve 7 or the size 'ofthe port 6 or both of them, the degree of vacuum which must be established in the fuel chamber above the fuel therein, before the valve will lift, may be varied within wide limits and, after the adjustments have once been-made, will thereafter remain constant.

The fuel is delivered from the chamber 4: through a vertical passage 10, extending vertically through apost 11 which pro1ects downwardly from the body of the carbureter; the post 11 being at the axis of the fuel chamber and serving as a support for the bowl 12. The'passage 10 is open at both cates with atmosphere. flow intothe passage 10 through suitable ports, 13 and 14, the former being controlled by a thermostat 15. Of'course the fuel may be led in any suitable way into the passage 10 froma point within the fuel chamber below the normal liquid level. The lower end of the passage 10 is controlled by a suitable inwardly opening check valve which will shut off communication with the outside air when the engine is not running and will thus permit the passage 10 to serve as a well which will fill up with fuel when the engineis shut down, but will lift and allow outside air to flow upwardly through the passage, pick up fuel, and enter the main air 'passage of the carbureter to mingle with the main air supply. In'the arrangement shown, the lower end of the air passage is reduced in diameter as indicated at 1 6, the

valve 7, may consist of a .simple gravity 1 member, 18, tending constantly to rest upon the valve seat at the upper end of themember 17. The parts are so proportioned that. the valve 18 will not rise from its seat until Fuel is allowed to the vacuum in the passage 10 isgre'ater than the vacuum which'must be established in t .e fuel chamber above the fuel level in order to cause the valve 7 to rise; thus insuring that whenever the engine is running there will alwaysbe a greater vacuum in the passage '10 than above the fuel in the fuel chamber.

It therefore follows that whenever the 'en-" v gine is running, the partial vacuum produced in the fuel chamber does not prevent a proper flow of fuel into the passage 10, because there will be a difi'erential pressure on the fuel in-the direction to force it into the passage 10 by reason of the higher or greater vacuum in this passage than in the fuel chamber. On the other hand, after an adequate vacuum in the fuel chamber has been produced, the air valve 18 will rise, so thatthe fuel will be taken up by a stream of air and be carried into the .carbureting or mixing chamber in the-form of a rich'mixture. Inthe arrangement shown, fuel is delivered to-the chamber 4 through a port,19,@

controlled by a float-controlled valve, 20.

Another "novel feature of the carburetor illustrated, which may be used in conjunction with the vacuum feature or independently thereof is the main valve for controlling the flow of both the main air supply and the rich gaseous mixture delivered mm across the interior of the body of the carbureter and forming a plug or valve therefor is a cylindrical shell, 21, co-axial with the fuel passage 10. The member 21 is closed the passage 10. Extending vertically" "2118 insuch a at its upper end and projects out through the top of the body casting where it is provided with an actuating lever or arm, 22. The shell or casing is open at the bottom and it is of such a diameter or is so located that the port 5 leading from the fuel chamber opens into the interior thereof. A tunnel, 23, extends transversely through the shell 21, the ends of the tunnel being open and the walls being imperforate sothat there is no direct communication between the interior of the tunnel and the space within the interior of the shell surrounding the tunnel. The tunnel is preferably made smaller at one end than at the other, thelarger end being the inlet end and the smaller end the outlet end. When the shell is so placed that the axis of the tunnel lies at right angles to the axis of the body of the, carbureter, the shell 21 serves as a valve to prevent air from being taken in through theinlet end 2. When the shell is turned from the aforesaid position, a passage from the inlet end to the outlet end oftthe carbureter'is provided, the sizeof the passage depending upon the angular position of the shell. 1 v

The wall of theshell is provided with a series of small openings, 24, arranged in a circle in proximity to the wall of the tunnel at the small end of the latter; the perforations, 24, being preferably inclined so that continuations thereof would converge at a point beyond the small end of and at the axis of the tunnel.

1. It will be seen that when the main valve osition'that air can pass from the inlet end 2 throu h the carbureter, a suction will beproduced which will cause air or a mixture of air'and gas to be drawn out through the ports or erforations, 24, and be effectually mixed wlth the main air supply; air coming u through the port 5 and a rich mixture 0 vair and gas coming up through the passage 10.

The ports or perforations 24 don'ot extend entirely around the mouth of the tunnel because when the main valve is in its closed position in which no air can flow through the tunnel, noneof the ports or perforations 24 should be exposed. As the valve is shifted to open it a little, one or two of the ports 24 are uncovered so that the requisite amount of fuel may be delivered. Then, asiithe valve is opened wider and wider, allowing more and more air to enter, additional fuel supplying ports are uncovered.

In starting the engine it is desirable that a rich primlng charge be provided, which necessitates shutting ofii' the main supply of air. In the drawings I have illustrated two means by which a priming charge may be obtained,- and either means must be used alone or in conjunction with the other. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, there is a port, 25,

extending through the shell 21 near the large end of the tunnel, the angular distance of this port from the small end of the tunnel being slightly greater than the angle through which the valve must be turned to bring it from full open to full closed position. Therefore, by eontinuing the turning movement of the valve slightly past its closed position, the port 25 will be uncovered on the outlet side of the carbureter and, upon. starting the engine, the charge contained in the passage 10 will be drawn up through the valve 21in the port 25, together with air entering the lower end of the pass age 10. The same-result may beobtained by providing a shut-off valve such as the butterfly valve, 26, illustrated in Fig. 6, this valve being placed in the inlet end of the carbureter in advance of the main valve. In starting the engine the valve 26 may be closed so-as to shut off the entrance of outside air through the inlet end 2, while the valve 21 is allowed to remain in its open position with the ports or perforations 24 uncovered. The priming charge in this instance will be drawn through the orts or perforations 24 instead of throng an auxiliary port.

I claim:

1. A carbureter'having a main air passage, a hollow valve extending across said air passage and having a tunnel extending therethrough for the passage of the main charge of air, a source of fuel supply communicatingwith the interior of said hollow valve, and there being a series of ports extending through the wall of said valve in proximity to one end of said tunnel.

2. A carbureter having a main air passage, a hollow valve extending across said air passage and having a tunnel extending therethrough for the passage of the main charge of air,a chamber for liquid fuel communicating with the interior of the hollow valve by means of a passage 0 ening into the chamand havingits ax1s horizontal, a post ro jecting' downwardly from said body member, a fuel chamber surroundingsaid post, there being a passage in said post communicating at its upper end with the main air passage, there being a ort leadin from a point in the interior of the fuel c amber below the liquid level therein to a point in said passage in the post lying below said liquid level, and

1 taining a main air passage open at both ends and having its axis horizontal, a post projecting downwardly from said body member,

a fuel chamber surrounding said post, there being a passage in said post communicating at its upper end with the main air passage, there being a port leading from a point in the interior of the fuel chamber below the liquid level therein to a point in said passage in the post lying below; said liquid level, and there being also an air inlet communicating with the passage in the post at a point below the discharge endof said port, and a check 'V-alve located in the fuel passage and controlling said air inlet.

. 5. In a carbureter, a body member containing a main air passage open at both ends, a post projecting downwardly from said body member, a fuel chamber surrounding said post, there being a passage in said post communicating at its upper end with the main air passage, there being a portcommunicating with the interior of the fuel chamber at a point below the liquid level therein and opening into the passage in the post at a point below said level, and there being also a passage leading into said main air passage from the top of said chamber, said chamber having an air inlet, a check valve located in the fuel passage and controlling said air inlet, and means including an inwardly-opening check valve for admita hollow valve extending across said air passage and having a tunnel extending therethrough for the supply of the main charge of air, a well opening at its upper end into the I interior of said hollow valve, means for delivering liquid fuel into said well, and there being a plurality of ports extending through the wall of said valve in proximity to one end of said tunnel.

8. A carbureter having a main air passage, a hollow valveextending across said air passage and having a tunnel extending therethrough for the supply of the main charge of air, a well opening at its upper end into the interior of said hollow valve, means for delivering liquid fuel into said well, there beingv a plurality of ports extending through the wall of said valve in proximity to one end of said tunnel, and means for permitting air to flow upwardly through said well and into the main air passage when the engine to which the carbureter is connected is running.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

LEVI S. GARDNER. 

